1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to the production apparatus for functional water, the producing method of the functional water and the functional water produced by the method.
2. Background Art
There are various types of “water”, depending on their properties and producing method, and they are produced by various methods and used based on their respective characteristics and functions. Some of the main types include normal drinking water, industrial water, pure water and functional water.
The pure water is a type of water where its purity has been enhanced by removing as many impurities as possible from the water. Such water is produced by removing dissolved salts, organic substances, fine particles, fungi, dissolved gas and ions by using filters, degassing and ion exchange processes. The pure water are mainly used for various washing solutions in semiconductor fabricating processes, solvents for chemicals, circulatory water at nuclear power plants, cleansing and manufacturing solutions for preparing pharmaceutical products, compounding a medicine and medical surgery at hospitals.
The functional water is water whose characteristics have been altered by applying various processes mainly to normal drinking water. The methods include a magnetic process, an electrical process, a materials adding process and a materials removing process from the water. The pure water may be a type of functional water produced through the materials removing process.
An example by the electrical process is alkali ion water. Alkali ion water is alkaline electrolysis water obtained from the negative electrode side when tap water is electrolyzed after the water is pre-processed. The water contains a large amount of OH− ion while its pH is about 10.
It is the that this water has the effect of enhancing bioactivity of living matter by promoting the absorption of calcium or activating bacteria in the intestines of living beings.
An example by the magnetic process is magnetic process water. FIGS. 1A and 1B show a schematic diagram of its producing process. The magnetic processing apparatus includes a magnetic processing tube 101, and magnets 102 and 103. After the water is pre-processed through the filtering and chlorine removing process, it is fed into the magnetic processing tube 101. The magnetic processing tube 101 has two magnets 102 and 103 aligned in parallel. The water is processed magnetically when it passes through a space between the two magnets. It is reported that plants nurtured with such magnetic process water grow faster than plants raised with normal water, and that concrete made with magnetic process water shows enhanced strength.
An example by the materials adding process is mineral added water. That is the water with an increased volume of magnesium and calcium ions. The processing method involves a running water through a filter containing coral sand (a type of coral: Its main ingredient is calcium carbonate) to have the water absorb the mineral. It is the that mineral is a necessary ingredient for living matters. It also has the effect of making water tastier.